>> the law is the law. the law is that $460 billion is going to have to be cut out of defense. they should be planning for that now, because those cuts are supposed to begin on the first of january. those are facts. facts are stubborn things. since when do we disobey laws because we anticipate changes in the law? i have never heard of such a thing and i think it is outrageous to make that assumption because that's not how government's supposed to work. >> let me turn you, if i could, to the employment report of this morning, senator. i don't know whether you were able to hear the previous conversation -- >> yes. >> -- but jack welch tweeted out this morning that he basically doesn't believe these numbers, the 7.8% unemployment rate and he alleged that those numbers were manipulated by the administration. we just had a republican congressman on who believes the same thing. what's your opinion? what do you make of this number, and given what you see in your own backyard, does it ring true? >> well, i think that it's pretty significant that for the first time in nearly four years